One of the most critical aspects of the Technician Commitment is the Peer Review Process of institutional self-assessments and action plans, which is the cornerstone of driving change within institutions and thus the technical community. The Technician Commitment has been successful over the last six years and now has over 115 signatory institutions, calling for a greater number of peer review volunteers.
We are therefore offering the technical community the opportunity to become a peer reviewer of institutional self-assessments and action plans. This opportunity is open to all technicians across signatory institutions. No prior experience is required as online training will be given (details will be emailed to those who apply) and the time commitment will not be more than 1-2 days per assessment round, of which there are two per year. The next assessment round will fall late February/March and you will need to be available in that timeframe.
This opportunity will help demonstrate and improve your written and verbal communication skills and help build evidence of impact across the sector for all those involved. If you are interested in this opportunity, please fill out this simple form and we will be in touch with next steps and training details.
Hear what other peer reviewers had to say about the experience:
Jan Brett, Strategic Technical Lead, University of Liverpool: "I volunteered to help educate myself better about Technician Commitment action plans and Technician Commitment progress across the sector, in order to help us here at Liverpool by sharing best practice from what I learn. It's also a great chance to work with colleagues externally and to give something back by helping others along their Technician Commitment journey by suggesting best practice to them when reviewing their submissions."
Natalie Homer, Senior Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh: "Putting myself forward to be a peer reviewer gave me greater awareness of the higher education sector. For the first time, I had early insight into what changes are being made to address the Technician Commitment across the UK. It is really encouraging to see what is being implemented and valuable when considering action plans and self-assessments for your own institution. I felt privileged to peer review, like I’m making a difference to the wider community. ”
Ali Salik, Research Lab Manager, University of Glasgow: “Being a peer reviewer has helped me improve my evaluation skills as well as broadening my network by working with likeminded technical colleagues in other universities and institutions.”
Emma Colley, Organisational Development Advisor, Keele University: "Being a Peer Reviewer for the Technician Commitment has been a great development opportunity and provided the chance for me to get a greater understanding of the Commitment and how it continues to be embedded across the various institutions and organisations. The Peer Review Process is a wonderful example of where technicians, and those working with, and in support of technicians, come together to shine a light on the amazing work implemented under the pillars of the Commitment".
Jiteen Ahmed, Head of Technical Services, Aston University: "I always enjoy reading the self-assessments as they give me an opportunity to gauge how we are in terms of progress at our institution, but also it gives me an opportunity to feedback and help other fellow institutes with regards to their progress on the Technician Commitment. By being a reviewer, I feel I can support the impact of the Technician Commitment. It probably sounds like a cliché, but it’s a rewarding process!
